Personal Business
by dragonfly42pf
Summary: Paige is going out on a date and it isn't with Walter! Reactions abound!...Rated T for now...
1. Chapter 1

Personal business:

Disclaimer: I do not own any little bit of Scorpion.

 _I would like to open by stating how grateful I am to all the authors out there who have created Scorpion fanfics. It is my favorite way to unwind at the end of work day insanity and I look forward to each story, and cherish many of them! Having stated that, I am not sure where this story is heading…I'm guessing 3 chapters, but am not guaranteeing quick updates. Thanks in advance for understanding. Life gets crazy and I'm grateful for the few minutes I get each day to speculate about Waige! And even more grateful when I can sit down to type it out. So…here goes…Paige is pissed!_

-ooo-

 _"_ _How dare he?!"_

When Walter O'Brien found out she was dating a _former_ client (emphasis on "former"), he had lost it. The things he said to her made her feel small and ashamed. Who did he think he was?! Whomever she saw in her free time was _her_ business and no one else's. She owed him zero explanations. He was acting like a jealous boyfriend. But he wasn't. Not by a long shot. He had made it perfectly clear that they had no romantic future together. They had shared one awkward, wonderful kiss, and they'd both admitted they felt nothing. So what if it'd been a boldfaced lie on her part? Walter never tired from reminding her that he only stated facts. That emotions were not something he could quantify and therefore not worth his time. And yet he had clearly berated her _emotionally_.

 _"_ _Two faced, double-standard-slinging jerk."_ She had been furious. And humiliated. And heartbroken _again._ But she was determined to go out with Simon this evening and have a damned good time. Maybe even a great time. Maybe even take the relationship to the next level. So they'd only been out twice before. So there were no fireworks between them, at least on her end. She was an adult capable of making adult decisions. She was a normal, hot-blooded woman and he was a reasonably attractive man. Ok, so he'd shown no interest in meeting Ralph, and he talked way too much about politics, but he held the door open and had taken her to two lovely restaurants, and that was the most she'd experienced socially in years. He didn't need to be "the one." He just needed to treat her well. So he hadn't suggested getting to know Ralph yet? There was still time for that. This was only going to be date number three. And she was going, little red flags be damned.

She had arrived with Ralph at their apartment still seething from her altercation with Walter. She had sent Ralph to wait in the car as soon as it had started, and although he didn't know the details of what had transpired between Walter and Paige, she was close to tears and visibly shaking when she got in the driver's seat. After asking his mother if she was ok and getting a not very convincing affirmative response, he had kept quiet. When they got through the door, Ralph gazed at her for a moment, and then went directly to his room. Paige felt terrible. She supposed a good mother would cancel her date and stay home with her son, so he wouldn't worry. As mama-guilt started to seep through her veins, she literally shook herself and marched into her bedroom and slammed the door. _"There is nothing wrong with me having a few hours to myself,"_ she told her conscience, and walked into the bathroom and turned the shower water on hot. She was going to look amazing tonight. She deserved this.

After showering, scrubbing, buffing, and plucking her way toward a better mood, she dried her hair and pulled out a fitted burgundy dress with spaghetti straps. She slipped it on and began to apply her make-up, dark and thick. She was going to look _sexy_ tonight. Walter O'Brien would cease functioning at the sight of her. No. _Simon_ would cease functioning. Tonight was about her and _Simon_ _._ Paige closed her eyes and took a steadying breath before looking herself in the eye in her bathroom mirror. The babysitter was going to be here in 15 minutes. She was meeting Simon in the lounge area of Beso's in an hour. She pulled her hair into a side bun and walked into the bedroom to put on her heels and look at the final result. _"Not bad – you've got this,"_ thought Paige in her full-length mirror. But try as she might, the confrontation with Walter was still in the forefront of her thoughts.

She sank down on her bed, determined to keep the tears at bay as she replayed their conversation from this afternoon.

-ooooo-

 _Next up will be the flashback of their heated conversation. Again, thank you for understanding it may be a bit until I post! And thanks in advance for any review. Love reading them! DFPF_


	2. Chapter 2

-ooooo-

Chapter 2 is meant as backstory of the argument in the garage between Walter and Paige prior to Chapter 1, hence the italics.

Chapter 2:

She sank down on her bed, determined to keep the tears at bay as she replayed their conversation from this afternoon….

 _It had been a slow day at Scorpion. Paige didn't even tag along on their case. The team was back shortly after lunch and after starting some light paperwork, she left to pick up Ralph from school. Upon returning to the garage with her son, she proofed what she had filed earlier, put on some finishing touches, and started tidying her desk. Aside from Walter, the rest of the team had already departed._

 _Walter and Ralph had been playing a game of chess, when she gave Ralph a ten-minute warning. Walter had looked up from his strategizing, and glanced at his watch, then back to her with a questioning look. "You're leaving already?" he asked._

 _Paige closed the top drawer of her desk and said, "Well, if you haven't noticed, everyone else is gone. It kind of seems like we're done for the day, doesn't it? I've finished my summary of the case, created the invoice for the clients, and emailed it to them. Is there anything else you need me to do?"_

 _Walter moved a knight across the board and said, "Your move, buddy," before standing up, shoving his hands in his pockets and moving toward Paige. "No, I guess not," he admitted. "Though if you and Ralph would like to stay for-"_

 _"_ _Oh, we can't actually," Paige started and began rifling through her purse for an imaginary object. She had not mentioned to Walter that she had started seeing a client from a previous case, because she was pretty sure he would give her a long list of reasons about why it was inappropriate. She grabbed at some chapstick and ran it over her lips, just for something to do. "You know, it's a school night and I have some things to take care of at home." Ok. That wasn't a total lie. She could still make a quick exit with Ralph._

 _Walter perched on the edge of her desk and folded his arms over his gray button down shirt. "Oh? Anything exciting?"_

 _"_ _She's going out with Simon again," Ralph said monotonously. Paige winced. She couldn't be mad at Ralph. He was clearly still wrapped up in his next chess move and she hadn't had a specific conversation with him about_ not _mentioning Simon to Walter._

 _Walter had begun blinking rapidly. "G—g-going out?" he stuttered. Now, eyes wide, "as in a date?"_

 _Paige pursed her lips together for a moment and slowly stood, her head down. "Ummm…yeah. It's really new. We've only been out a couple of times, and I didn't see any reason to bring it up—"_

 _"_ _Wait, not Simon Bennett—" Walter began._

 _"_ _From the FDA case two weeks and three days ago," Ralph's voice popped up again._

 _Paige groaned. "Ralph. I need you to go wait in the car. Say goodbye to Walter. You can finish your game tomorrow."_

 _Ralph stood, glared in her direction and rolled his eyes._ "Since when did he develop an attitude?" _she wondered. "It's a match mom, not a game." He marched over to Walter and said, "the babysitter is due in about ninety minutes, so we have to go home so mom can get ready for her_ date _." He spoke the last word (with, was that hatred? Where did that come from?) and looked at Walter expectantly._

 _"_ _Ralph? Car. Now." Paige looked at him sternly. Walter gave the boy a pat on the back and then Ralph gathered his backpack and left with a slam of the door._ "What is up with him?" _Paige silently mused. Her son never had a mean word to say about anyone. He'd exhibited frustration, yes, and disappointment, but he never really seemed to get mad._

 _"_ _Paige?" Walter stood, arms still crossed and head cocked to the side, a forced grin on his face._

 _Paige grabbed her purse and keys and let out an exasperated sigh. "Walter – my personal life is really none of your business."_

 _Walter's smile vanished, "Except, it is_ my business _, Paige. Fraternizing with clients is – "_

 _"_ A – one – FORMER _client. A client who will likely never need our services again," she started, hating herself for getting defensive._

 _"_ _So you don't think we'll ever work for any department within the FDA again? Considering we work for the government, and have been involved in cases ranging from intelligence breeches to airborne viruses, logic dictates – "_

 _"'_ _Logic dictates?!' Well, if we're going to go that route, we are always looking out for the greater good of everyone in LA! So am I not allowed to date any male in Los Angeles? How about all of Southern California?" Paige knew she was being irrational, but she didn't care._

 _"_ _Well, technically—"_

 _"_ _Just stop, Walter. Stop." Paige took a breath. "This is not a big deal. This is just dinners, drinks – a couple of nice nights out for me. It's not affecting the team. Until a moment ago, you didn't even know I was dating—"_

 _"_ _Oh, so now you and Simon Bennett are 'dating?'" Walter shoved his hands in his pockets again and stormed a few steps away._

 _"_ _Argh!" Paige placed her hands over her face for a moment before following him. "Yes! I am dating a man! I am a grown woman who would like to enjoy the company of a nice man every now and then. And when I say "every now and then" I mean for the first time in literally YEARS! Why do I need to explain this to you? It has NOTHING TO DO WITH SCORPION! There is nothing wrong with me wanting some companionship!"_

 _"_ _Companionship?! What does that mean?!" Walter retorted. "You have several companions on our team. We go out for meals together occasionally. We hang out together—"_

 _"_ _Oh, come on, Walter! You know damned well what I mean! I want to GO OUT! I want to put on a nice dress, that doesn't involve espionage," she quickly added when he started to object. "I want to be wined and dined a little." She hated how that made her sound. She knew he would trivialize her argument. But dammit. It was true._

 _"_ _Does he know about Ralph?" Walter asked, noticeably angry now._

 _Wow – right for the jugular, she thought. "Yes, he knows about Ralph. And before you ask, no, he hasn't met him because we've only been out twice! We're still getting to know each other."_

 _"_ _Are you sleeping with him?" Walter demanded, stepping toward her and staring at her intently._

 _"_ _And how would that be any of your concern?!" Paige snapped. "What I do on MY time, in MY personal life is not anyone's damned business!"_

 _Walter was silent for a moment and had the humility to look away from her. She took a beat._

 _"_ _Look, Walter, you know Ralph is my number one priority and this job is my second. I would never do anything to jeopardize either of those things. I'm sorry," she breathed in again and squared her shoulders, "no, I'm not sorry for wanting a romantic life too."_

 _"_ _So this is about sex for you?" Walter asked, making it seem more like a statement, a fact he was gathering for his greater understanding of the situation. He put his hands on his hips as if he were about to give her a lecture on morality. Paige inhaled deeply_ again _. She had taken so many steadying breaths during this conversation that she was getting lightheaded. But she could feel her blood come to a simmer._

 _"_ _No! But you know what, yes, that's part of it! What's wrong with that!? I mean, I'm human. Yes, I miss sex." Walter looked as if he might have a stroke, only motivating Paige to push more of his buttons. "I buy fancy lingerie for myself that sits in my dresser drawer still wrapped in tissue paper." She was shouting now, but shook her head sadly, though she knew this was a stupid reason for feeling sorry for herself. She took a few steps toward the door, but felt the need to say more. After a bit of an internal debate with herself, she added, "It's much, much, more than that though. I want to feel like a lady sometimes. I want the romantic dinners, and the flowers, and to put on a nice dress and have someone look at me like I'm – I'm -desirable. Do you know how much I miss that? Do you know how much I crave that intimacy with another person?" She peeked up at him. "I don't expect you to understand that, but I would like you to respect the way I feel."_

 _She had been hoping for a little compassion. Well, to be perfectly honest, she was hoping for a miraculous breakthrough where he professed all of his feelings for her and told her the decision to remain "professional colleagues" was hogwash, but instead…._

 _"_ _Respect how you feel?! Are you kidding me? So you basically are telling me you're lonely?" Walter raised his eyebrows. "Or that you're horny?" Now he looked disgusted. "And that's supposed to excuse your behavior while you go out and sleep with any random person in LA?!" Walter erupted._

 _And with that, Paige walked over to him and slapped him across the face._

 _Walter looked stunned and Paige's eyes filled up with tears and she began to shake. She was equally stunned and humiliated by what he just said. He really thought so little of her? She took two steps back from him and said in a low, quaking voice, "Again, not that it's any of your concern, but I have slept with exactly two men in my life. My high school sweetheart, and Drew. I have been on a few first dates since then and exactly zero second dates. And recently," she looked away, "there was someone in my life that I had really hoped to find that special connection with," she paused as her voice cracked, "but he has made it perfectly clear that there is no possibility of that ever happening."_

 _"_ _Paige—" Walter started and stepped toward her._

 _"_ _I think you've said enough tonight," Paige replied. She hated that she emitted a small sob before she charged toward the door and disappeared._

 _-oooo-_

Walter's POV and Paige's next move on the docket for Chapter 3! Thanks in advance for any reviews! Tomorrow starts a new work week, so again, thanks in advance for understanding there may not be quick updates. Thank heaven for weekends that don't involve lots of plans! Reviews please!?


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3:**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own any little bit of Scorpion**

 **Thank you for the reviews! Love reading them. Hoping "jerk move, man" posted by Guest was directed at Walter and not me! This chapter is Walter's POV after their argument followed by Paige's next move.**

Walter gazed at the door for a moment and then strode purposefully to Paige's desk and swept off all of the contents, almost including her monitor, which wobbled precariously and then settled back into place. He then gave the desk a childish, but powerful kick with his right foot, causing him to grimace and double over in pain, and the monitor to have the good graces to dramatically topple over and fall face down on the desk, which had been forced back several feet.

He paced around the garage, thoughts racing between a reenactment of their argument and concern for Paige driving in an agitated state with Ralph in the car. The last time he had gotten into a car after one of their altercations, their only other really heated altercation, had resulted in him driving over a cliff. But that was Mother Nature's fault he reminded himself. And Paige was far more level headed than he was…wasn't she?

Walter ran his hands through his hair. This was what it felt like to experience emotion. Anger he was used to. Frustration? Sometimes. But this was exacerbated. What was different? Why did this hurt as much as her saying she didn't want Ralph to become him? He, no, they had _both_ agreed to the sensible outcome of remaining colleagues and friends. So this was just a switch that needed to be turned off. That was it. End of story. No other factors to consider. _"Turn off the EQ, Walter,"_ he told himself. _"Better yet, forget you ever tapped into it to begin with."_

He went into the kitchen and pulled out a bottle of water, twisted the cap off, and drank deeply. He tried to take several calming breaths to make himself think and behave rationally. _Not working._ He could go for a walk. He could work on the rocket. He could go up and run trials with Cabe Jr. He wanted none of it. He contemplated following Paige to her apartment, but couldn't think of anything to say to her that might be productive. She was angry with him. Sooo angry. And he was mad at her too. Maybe this had to happen. Maybe the only way to be "professional colleagues" was for one or both of them to move on. He just hadn't anticipated that she actually would. He hadn't given another woman another glance. But Paige had moved on. Right now she was getting ready for a date with a well-to-do, grudgingly handsome (he supposed) eligible bachelor. And he hated it.

He went over to his desk and created a table on his computer to pinpoint his anxiety surrounding this ordeal. After sorting through all the "fraternizing in the work-place" scenarios that barely kept his attention, he noticed his thoughts kept drifting back to Paige and Simon scenarios. What were they doing right now? Each time he envisioned Simon's hands all over Paige caused a rise in Walter's blood pressure. And when he imagined her hands on Simon's chest, shoulders, hips, he felt betrayed, even sickened. A peal of thunder cracked followed by a heavy downpour. Walter recalled a report about a fast moving storm front that was supposed to cause a quick deluge and then move on. His thoughts went back to Paige. Maybe she would have just canceled the date? What was she wearing? And about that lingerie just sitting in her drawer…he wondered what it looked like, and how it would feel under his hands. He wondered what _she_ would like, and how _she_ would feel under his hands. He imagined himself deftly unhooking her bra and kissing her soft, perfect breasts. He allowed his mind to drift, while still gazing blankly at the monitor in front of him. After his eyes grew dry from staring at his computer for so long, Walter realized the rain had stopped, as the earlier reports had suggested. He wandered up to the roof, hoping the night air and fresh scent of the world after a hard rain would help to soothe his mind, and maybe, just maybe his heart.

-ooo-

Paige sat up on her bed abruptly after replaying the conversation between her and Walter just over an hour ago. She was less angry and more aching. She wished her date tonight was with Walter and not Simon. The more she tried to convince herself that Simon was a good catch – a decent man, the more it soured her stomach. She tried to picture herself kissing Simon, waking up next to Simon, in bed with Simon, but his face kept morphing into Walter's and she allowed _those_ visions to play longer than she knew she should. Paige ran her fingers under her eyes, hoping she hadn't completely ruined the make-up she had so recently and painstakingly applied. She went to her closet to pull out a purse to match her burgundy dress and began pulling the necessary items from her daytime bag into the clutch. When she reached for her phone, she thought only for a moment, and then called Simon.

He answered on the fourth ring. "Hi Paige, I'm just leaving work to get in my car and meet you."

"Hi Simon, ummm…I was wondering if it would be ok if we had a slight change of plans…"

"Oh, you're not canceling on me, are you? I've been looking forward to seeing your pretty face all day."

 _"_ _How sweet,"_ mused Paige to herself. This is what it felt like to be appreciated.

"No, I'm just wondering if you could pick me up at my apartment. Maybe come in and say a quick hello to Ralph and then we could go—"

"Aw baby – I'd have to take Lakeview Avenue I think to get to your place. Do you know what that's like at this hour?" Simon protested.

"I know. I'm sorry. I just didn't feel like driving. I can just meet you at Beso's for a drink or two. I just might be running a little late." A sudden courage came over her. "Or…" she steeled herself, _she could do this,_ "Or…we could go your place if you'd prefer?" Hearing silence on the other end, she continued with a breathy voice, hoping it sounded sexy, "I mean, I'm so curious as to what your bachelor pad looks like and we could just have a few cocktails there?"

"Well," she pictured him rubbing his hands together like a villain would in an old Western, "that sounds like a great idea, babe." Simon sounded like he was smiling like the Cheshire cat. "It still doesn't clear all the traffic out of LA though, does it? How about I send you my address and then you can take a cab over here? Cab ride's on me by the way."

 _"_ _How romantic,"_ thought Paige sarcastically. But, determined to go through with the evening, she said, "That's sounds perfect."

After ending her call with Simon, Paige walked over to her dresser drawer and pulled it open. She pulled the tissue paper off of the two pairs of matching bra and panty sets she had purchased, waiting to be worn for such an occasion. She ran her fingers over their satin and lace and thought about how she had purchased them with Walter in mind. She had created fantasies about how Walter would be the one, the only one, to see her in them. How he would have slowly, and nervously unzipped her dress, and been rendered speechless by her— _"Oh get over yourself!"_ her inner voice chided. But she still couldn't bring herself to don the pretty undergarments. The dress she was wearing provided enough support that she didn't need a bra, and the panties she had on were satin and seamless and well, fine. Good enough. They probably wouldn't stay on long anyway. She was going to do this. She had just invited herself to Simon's home and he'd eagerly agreed. If that wasn't an open invitation for a night of sex, she didn't know what was. It was about physical need. There was nothing wrong with it. It was about moving on. But she kept seeing Walter's big brown eyes and picturing how hurt he would be if he ever found out. "This isn't about Walter!" she shouted at herself. And with that, she quickly looked up the number for a cab service.

 **Well? Reviews please? Thanks for reading! Next up is Simon's lair!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4:**

 **Aww! You guys are worried about Paige and Walter winding up together! Don't worry, my dears. Don't you worry. If you haven't noticed, I'm trying to make Simon be somewhat charmingly despicable…that's all I'm saying for now, but read on! Was going to break this into 2 smaller chapters, but, well, here you go! To the guest who has suggested I could have made this into one big story...you're totally right! I'm so sorry if this is vexing you. I write when I can, and the plot isn't going to involve anything meaty like saving the world. Sorry, sorry, sorry, but I hope you can enjoy the story for what it is. If not, let me know and I'll bugger off! :) Hey, am also pondering a sort of "choose-your-own-adventure" (Am I old? Do those stories still exist?!) moment and having you vote in form of review for which way you'd like the story to go…but I'm not there yet! For now, let's get to that date with slimy Simon!**

After squaring things away with the babysitter, and telling Ralph's bedroom door (he refused to come out) to make sure he finished his homework, ate some salad with dinner, and only spent 45 minutes with video games, she told him she loved him, would be back in a few hours and headed down the lobby of their complex to wait for the cab.

It arrived late, as she'd anticipated due to the traffic, and while she waited, she'd gotten more than a few suggestive glances from the people who entered the building. _"Maybe a little too much make-up,"_ she thought to herself, unsure if she was just being paranoid, and feeling even guiltier for going on her "nice night out." When the cab finally arrived, she repeated the address she'd already given the company when she had made the call, and settled into the back seat. The cab's GPS informed them it would take 30 minutes to get to Simon's condo, and the driver glumly muttered it would be more like an hour, so Paige looked out the window and had some time to process the thoughts that were racing through her mind as the streets of LA crawled by.

She was not some dewey-eyed school girl who needed to believe that sex was about anything more than physical gratification. People had one-night stands, sex with strangers in night clubs, didn't they? So she wasn't one of those people? Who was she to judge!? They were out having a great time while she spent most nights with her son in their apartment. And this was not even that scenario. Simon was a respected man. She… _"stop justifying this Paige,"_ her conscience sneered. _"This is your personal business. You're a grown woman who doesn't have to explain herself to anyone."_ Paige swallowed and nodded to herself in agreement. Except she'd have to explain this one to herself at some point…because her heart and gut just weren't in it. Wasn't this some silly revenge scenario to make Walter jealous? Had she really plotted that? Who was Paige Dineen anymore?

-ooo-

When she arrived at Simon's, she asked the cab driver to wait a moment and walked up to the doorman asking him to let Simon Bennett, of 1203, know that she had arrived. She was expecting Simon to take the elevator down to the lobby and pay for the cab, as promised. Instead, the doorman reappeared and simply held the door for her and told her she could proceed "straight ahead and then to the right" for the elevator. Sighing, she asked him to give her a moment, and went over to the car, giving the driver a handsome tip on a $92 cab fare, and braced herself for the evening. She waited a moment before going through the revolving doors and watched some other occupants enter their building. They were remarkably well groomed and exuded a grace and confidence Paige didn't quite feel. Was it Walter's harsh words that were making her feel this way, or her own insecurities? She regretted not asking the cab to wait for a few moments….she could have created a story for Simon, explaining on why she couldn't come in, or stay long, or… _"what am I doing?!"_ Paige asked herself. Tears threatened to fall again. A storm cloud rumbled from above doing nothing to improve her nerves or resolve. _"One drink,"_ she told herself. _"Play it by ear. You owe him nothing. See where the night takes you."_ She had noticed a bus station that was within a mile from Simon's building. She could always walk to it and save money on the ride home. But that was only if things went badly. She quickly conjured a "pillow talk" conversation where Simon insisted on chivalry and drove her home. He could turn out to be a knight in shining armor hidden somewhat deeply in disguise, right? She could do this.

-ooooo-

Simon opened the door to his condo and looked her up and down. "Well, hello there," he said. "Hi," said Paige, blushing slightly, feeling more creeped out than desired.

"Come in, come in," Simon said as he held the door open wider and gestured for her to enter his condo. She crossed the threshold and looked around. It was not the black leather, cheesy-music-emitting, track-lighted bar in the corner, man cave she'd been anticipating. There were shelves of books and a large entertainment center and a simple bottle of red wine on an end table. True, the lighting was dim and there was some jazz piano playing through unseen speakers, but the music was appealing, and the overall appearance of the room was one of warmth. Paige released a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding and turned around, feeling more relaxed. Until she realized that while she'd been studying his living room, his eyes had been on her ass.

He didn't even have the good sense to look embarrassed. He just cleared his throat, pulled out his wallet, and said, "Before I get you a drink, what do I owe you?"

Paige just stared at him for a moment before finding her voice. "Excuse me?" she whispered.

"For the cab fare. I know they jack up the prices during rush hour." He pulled some cash out of his wallet.

Paige swallowed and felt very hard not to feel like a prostitute. "Oh, no, I couldn't possibly. I mean, I'm the one who changed our plans at the last minute." She tried her best to look and feel coquettish when she said it.

"And I'm so very glad you did," Simon grinned. She tried to admire him in his gray suit pants and light blue oxford shirt, but got stuck on his gelled blonde hair and shining bleached teeth that made him look like he was a bad version of Prince Charming. Why had she never noticed that before? "Please, sit down. Make yourself at home while I pour you a drink," Simon drawled, "I can give you a tour of the place in a bit if you'd like? Pinot Noir ok? If not, I have some Lagavulin?"

Paige wasn't even sure what Lagavulin was, though she was confident it was whiskey, scotch, or brandy, none of which were her cup of…anything. "Wine would be lovely," she purred, sinking into a suede tan sofa, wondering if the high backed maroon chair in the room wouldn't have been a safer option. Simon poured two glasses and handed her one as he sank down next to her on the sofa. They chatted for a bit about what they'd each been doing the last few days since they'd seen each other, and Paige began to feel normal again. As she sipped her wine and laughed at a funny story Simon told about one of his employees, he began to run his finger up her arm, tracing her neck, then chin and cupped her cheek. "I don't think I told you how glad I am that you're here," he stated. Paige smiled and lowered her eyes from his. _"Now we're getting somewhere,"_ she thought. " _See this is normal._ _This_ _is relaxing after work. This is what life would be like with Walt-SIMON!"_ She snapped out of her reverie and stood, almost spilling her last sip of wine. "So can I get that tour?" she asked, knowing full well where it would lead. She and Simon had thus far only shared one brief kiss, but _"You can do this – it's your personal business,"_ she started to tell herself and then replaced it with her inner voice yelling, _"REALLY?! YOU NEED TO GIVE THIS SPEECH TO YOURSELF ONE MORE TIME?!"_ She was starting to feel crazy. "I'd really love to see the rest of your place." She tried to coo, but was pretty sure it sounded forced. Simon didn't seem to notice. He stood with her, and smoothly poured her another glass of wine.

"Absolutely," he said. "Right this way, Paige." He led her into his kitchen, then study, where Paige managed to make some appropriate comments about the décor and functionality of the rooms, and then finally, he opened the door to his bedroom.

The bedroom _was_ how Paige had pictured his pad - dark furniture, navy paisley curtains, and matching comforter. There were two doors in the room, both ajar. One suggested an expansive closet and the other an equally expansive bath. There were two trays on the matching nightstands, each with an unopened bottle of sparking water and crystal glasses. She tried not to cringe. "It's lovely," she lied. Simon pulled her in for an unexpected kiss. Paige tried her damndest to succumb to it, but it just screamed, WRONG to her. She pulled away. "I'm sorry," she said, catching her breath. "I'm just not myself. My son, Ralph was acting kind of funny today and I think I'm just still worried about him."

"I'm sure he's fine," Simon murmured as he began to trail kisses down her cheek, jaw line, and neck. Paige tried again to surrender to him (and his, was that _charm?_ ) and reminded herself that this was the moment to tilt her head back and enjoy the attention his hand was giving to her breast while his mouth nibbled at the top of it. She even made her free hand trail up his back and neck and glide into his hair, but it got stuck in the several gallons of hairspray or gel he'd used to shellac it into place. Suddenly the thought of being naked with Simon was completely repulsive to Paige as she pictured shiny Ken-doll anatomy under his clothes.

"Y-you know, I'm not s-sure he is," Paige stammered, "I'd really like to go check on him." She was fumbling for a way out. "You could come with me? He's anxious to meet you and I'm sure you guys would really hit it off," she fibbed. _Surely Simon might be disappointed at first, but he would understand, right?_ But his kisses were now becoming less lips and more tongue as he continued to graze at her décolletage. "I-It would make me feel a lot b-better about where we're headed right now," she continued to stutter, wondering how she was balancing her wine glass while trying to not be completely manhandled. She finally managed to pull herself away from him and tried for a smile. "I'm sure traffic's let up by now? What do you think?"

Simon's eyes looked her up and down again and gripped her ass to pull her closer. "I think, that this is date number three, and you came over here for a reason." He raised an eyebrow and cupped her face in his hands. "I am happy to meet Richie this weekend or next if you'd like, but right now, I'd really like to spend some time with you."

His words more than lacked sincerity for her and served as her wake up call. Paige stepped back and gave his chest a not-so-gentle shove, inadvertently splashing some red wine on his bedspread. She'd spent date number two pouring her heart out about Ralph, _Ralph,_ whom he had apparently feigned interest in and whom she'd stated just hours ago was her number one priority. She believed and honored that with her whole heart. This guy couldn't even remember his name?! No. Done.

"Shit, Paige! I'm going to smell red wine for weeks! Do you know how much the cleaners charge for a comforter?"

Paige looked at Simon in shock as he scrambled around the room, finally grabbing a white undershirt from a drawer to soak in the wine.

"Done" didn't even BEGIN to explain what she was feeling right now. She turned on her toes and headed for the living room to grab her clutch, setting her dripping glass down without a coaster on the end table. She hoped it left a stain. She grabbed almost all of the remaining cash out of her wallet and stormed back into his stupid bedroom lair where he was still trying to blot out the substantial stain and flung it at him. "Here. I hope this covers the dry cleaning bill for you." And with that, she left, hearing a crack of thunder and the heavens unleash as she entered the elevator and tried not to cry.

 **Good for Paige, and poor Paige, all in one! Let me know what you think, please! I appreciate your thoughts and reviews….debating on how she gets to Walter and how that conversation should go…and end!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: Once again, don't own one little bit of Scorpion...**

 **Chapter 5:**

 **Thank you kindly for so many reviews….and thank you for being patient. Life is getting a little crazy here so I'm going to attempt to wrap things up in a few chapters, but thanks in advance for understanding if it takes more than a few days between them. For now this is staying T….contemplating where to go with remaining chapters. Ravaging seems to be a popular notion, but let me know your thoughts. Thank you for reading. Thank you for giving me a place to write. Thank you for all of your juicy suggestions! And thank you for all of your stories too!**

Paige stood in the lobby for 15 minutes, a small part of her hoping Simon would come down and offer a gracious apology, but fully knowing that he wouldn't. She deliberated between calling another cab and waiting the storm out and hoofing it to the bus stop she'd seen earlier. She supposed she could call her babysitter, but didn't want to imagine the look of disappointment on Ralph's face as they pulled up to the lobby of the building. She was absolutely not calling Walter. She also eliminated calling Toby or Happy, not willing to endure a humiliating interrogation, or even a silent car ride that she would spend assuming they were mutely judging her. Not that Toby would be mute. The bus stop was the most sensible option. She thanked God for blessing her with a decent sense of direction, and took a moment to pray for a better internal compass when it came to relationships. She took a tissue out of her clutch and dabbed at the two tears that had managed to slip past her resolve, and leaned against the cool window of the lobby and watched the storm. The doorman had come in for shelter from the hard rain, but seemed determined to mind his own business, and hadn't so much as made eye contact with her, let alone offer to call her a cab. After a few more minutes, the rain suddenly stopped. She consulted her phone and saw the green blob on the weather radar rapidly moving away from the area. She sighed and wished she had brought a jacket, but moved through the revolving doors, determined for the walk to the bus stop to clear her head and heart.

The air was that lovely scent of "clean" as she walked the first several blocks, and she made herself look at her surroundings and notice the beautiful architecture of the modern buildings around her and the vivid green of the carefully planned planted trees that adorned the side walk every half block. She tried to ignore the pain in her feet caused by her ridiculous (but really sexy!) heels she had on, and shivered as the wet streets cooled the air. It was starting to become dark. She tried to enjoy the delightful "hiss" of tires on the wet street as cars whizzed past her. She estimated she still had at least 6 blocks to go.

After two more blocks, she removed her shoes (her feet sighing, "thank you!") and focused her vision on the sidewalk terrain in front of her, not wanting to step on anything that might cause injury. The street lights had begun to emit a soft light to help her on her quest, but a mere block before the bus stop, she crossed the now blissfully quiet street and stepped on something that made her wince. She ran her hand over the bottom of her left foot and didn't feel anything and applied pressure on it again, placing her foot lightly on the sidewalk she'd just crossed to. She abruptly pulled her foot back up. "Dammit," she muttered, but determined to get to her destination, she continued, careful to only bear weight on the outside of her foot as she hobbled on.

When she made it to the bus stop, she was thankful she only had to wait a few moments before a bus ambled to the stop, and after looking in her purse, even more thankful that she hadn't thrown her last two dollars at Simon. She sat down on the closest seat and leaned against a window for the second time that night. Before her head made contact with the glass, she caught a glimpse of her reflection. Her hair was remarkably still intact, and her make-up not terribly smudged, though the severity of it surprised her. She reached into her purse again for another tissue and tried to wipe away as much of it as she could. "Who are you?" she wondered for the second time that night. And she looked into her own eyes as her lower lip began to tremble, and finally, in the darkness of the bus, began to cry.

-ooo-

She opted to get off the bus a few blocks from the garage. Her foot had begun bleeding and she wanted to attempt a quick clean up before presenting herself to Ralph and the babysitter. She was hopeful _(wasn't she?)_ that Walter would be up in the loft, and she could sneak in and out undetected. A swipe of her credit card for a cab ride from the garage would be a pittance in comparison to the amount of money she'd already spent that night, so she determined this was her best option.

Limping into the garage, having ignored a few catcalls that had made her put pressure on her injured foot to hastily get to safety, Paige breathed a sigh of relief when she quickly deduced that no one was on the ground level. Ever the mom, she hobbled into the kitchen first and then back to the door so she could begin mopping up her wet and bloody footprints. It was when she was on her hands and knees, tail in the air, that Walter silently emerged down the stairs from his reverie on the roof.

He was had been startled by the sound of the door, and then relieved when he started to descend the stairs to find it was Paige. He paused for a moment, wondering if her presence indicated that she and Simon had simply had a quick tryst, or telltale of an evening that had not gone at all as planned. The corner of his mouth twitched as he couldn't help but admire her derrière as it wagged in the air as she was wiping at the floor, but then quickly noticed her dirty and possibly injured feet. Even if they were in the midst of an argument, his concern for her well-being was his paramount. "Paige?" he asked. "Are you ok?"

Paige froze in mid-mop, horrified at Walter seeing her like this. She let her arms rest on their elbows and her head dropped down, putting her close to a humiliating fetal position. That did it. She started to cry again. She refused to fall down altogether on the cold floor, though that's exactly what she wanted to do. "No?" was all she managed to wail.

Walter didn't hesitate as he sailed down the steps and knelt down next to Paige. He paused only a moment. "Put your arms around my neck," he instructed. She looked up at him in mid-sob, cringing at the thought of how she must look, and did as she was told. He slid one arm around her back and the other under her knees and gracefully stood and strode into the kitchen, carefully setting her down on the kitchen counter. He ripped a paper towel off the dispenser and handed it to her, unsure of what to say. He patiently waited for her to clean her face as her sobs subsided, though tears continued to roll down her pink cheeks. He scanned her for other injuries, eager to know what had happened. She appeared unscathed other than her feet, but he noted goose bumps on her arms and that she was shaking slightly. "Are you cold?" he quietly prodded. "Would you like a blanket?"

"No," she quickly said. "I don't need anything from you." He winced as her words cut him to the quick.

She felt even more terrible. This was sweet, sensitive Walter. The one he insisted didn't exist. The one she wanted to see so much more of, and here she was biting his head off. But she was still mad, and hurt too. His words had stung so much. Still, here she was, interrupting his evening, showing up unannounced at what was technically his place, after slapping him in the face. _"Wow, mixed signals much Paige?"_ she scolded herself. She let out a sigh and whispered. "I'm sorry. I know I'm being an intrusion right now and I appreciate your help. I'm just still…pretty hurt by the things you said." She couldn't look at him as she spoke, just playing with the sodden paper towel in her hands and alternatively using it to blot her tears from her cheeks.

"Paige…" Walter's voice trailed off….he didn't know how to continue. Yes, he was sorry for the things he'd said, ok, _yelled,_ earlier, but it didn't mean he wasn't upset with her too. Exactly _why_ he was upset was something he was still piecing together, but he had come to the conclusion during his earlier analysis of their heated conversation that he had acted like a complete jerk. He hated apologizing, but only contemplated it for another moment before recognizing this would perhaps re-open a hopefully calmer conversation between them. _That_ was something he desperately wanted, though he had no idea where it would exactly lead. "I'm sorry for the things I said earlier," he began. "I-I s-said them in anger. I didn't m-mean them and have been trying to pinpoint the source of my irritated state since you left."

"And?" Paige murmured, still focused on her paper towel, her heart lifting slightly before she internally admonished it to settle down.

"I uh, didn't come to any conclusions," he stated vaguely. _Focus on things within your control_ , Walter told himself. "We can talk more later if you'd like, but right now, I want to examine your feet. It looks like you stepped on something? I think you're bleeding." He held his hands up as if he were being told to drop a weapon. "May I take a look?"

Paige could only imagine the state her feet were in and she couldn't stand the thought of the first time Walter touching her be a moment of mutual disgust and embarrassment on her end. Then she imagined herself ungracefully trying to see the bottom of her feet in her tiny dress while seated on the kitchen counter while he watched. She eyed the surprisingly empty and surprisingly clean sink next to her and cleared her throat. "Ummm…could I soak them first? I promise to clean the sink before I leave. I wound up having to take off my shoes and after walking the pristine side walks of Los Angeles, and I'm sure they aren't anything you want to see, let alone touch right now," she tried to joke.

Walter nodded, closed the drain after regulating the water and began to fill the sink, pumping several shots of the antibacterial soap in while it filled. "Paige, can I ask what happened to you? I was up on the roof when you came in, and found you on your knees, injured and crying. Did something happen with Simon? Why were you –"

"Please. Stop," she said, finally looking at him and touching his forearm in the process. "I can't…please just let me have a few moments before we talk?" Her pretty brown eyes looked at him and brimmed with tears again. Walter didn't want to be the cause of anymore of her tears tonight and hoped that at least some of them belonged to Simon. Not that he wanted Paige to cry at all. He just didn't want to be solely responsible for her angst right now.

The sink finished filling and Walter turned off the water, testing it before assuring her it was a safe temperature. Paige attempted to delicately spin herself sideways on the counter before lowering her feet into the delightfully soothing warm, soapy water. She sighed, and both of their moods elevated for the moment.

An awkward silence filled the kitchen as her feet soaked and Paige did nothing but stare at her legs. Walter tried _not_ to stare at her exposed legs. Her dress had hitched around her upper thighs and he wished he could run his hand over her bare skin and under the hem of her dress. He instead opted to put his hands in his pockets and shuffled his feet as he tried to think of something to say to her, his mind still racing with the possibilities of what her evening had entailed. Finally, it was Paige who broke the silence.

"Could you, uh, just give me a few minutes alone to clean up a little?" she timidly asked.

"Sure," Walter replied and promptly left the kitchen. The moment he left, Paige reached into the drawer underneath where she was perched, pulled out a kitchen towel and dipped it into the sink water. She inelegantly pulled out her uninjured foot from the sink and tackled the cleaning process. Despite the soak, it was still an unfortunate shade of gray and took quite a bit of scrubbing before she found it acceptable. She also noticed at least three ugly looking blisters from her glorified kitten heels. She lowered her foot back into the sink and focused on her left foot. She cleansed it carefully and found the root of her discomfort. It was a staple nestled right in the ball of her foot. She scrubbed around it as best she could and returned her foot to the sink. She then unplugged the sink, used the towel to wipe the basin of the sink, made a mental note to purchase some new towels for the kitchen of the garage, and called softly to Walter.

Walter had wandered just outside the kitchen to give her the privacy she'd requested and immediately noticed her shifted desk that he'd assaulted after their argument. He moved it back into place, reset the monitor, and began picking up the items he'd swept off her desk – a picture of Ralph, a small desk lamp, a file holder that was now in pieces. After placing them on her desk, hoping they were in the correct locations and that she wouldn't notice the slight lean her file holder was now displaying, he looked around at the papers and folders on the floor. He sheepishly pushed them into one large pile when he heard her call him from the kitchen. He immediately abandoned his task and moved to return to her side, grabbing a blanket from the sofa as an after thought. She was wearing so little, she had to be cold. He walked into the kitchen and offered to place to blanket over her shoulders. She smiled weakly and nodded, murmuring a quiet, "thank you" to him as he placed it gently around her back. Seeing her hug the blanket around herself contentedly made him feel proud for at least being able to keep her warm tonight, oh, how he wished his arms were around her instead. That it was him that she was snuggling into…

Her legs were now propped up on the counter, hanging over instead of inside of the sink. She still couldn't look at him. She spoke to him in a very small voice, "It um, appears I stepped on a staple. It doesn't look too bad, so you don't have to-"

"May I?" asked Walter gently, gesturing with his hand to her left foot. Paige nodded bashfully. He gently placed one hand under the heel of her foot as the other gingerly caressed her outer step and raised it discreetly so he could have a better look. Paige's hands went to her thighs, determined to keep her dress in an appropriate place, secretly wishing his eyes would wander up her legs.

"Yep, it's a staple alright. That's good news. That means it's a clean puncture wound that should have a rapid healing time. I can grab some tweezers, antiseptic and bandages from the loft. Have you had a tetanus shot recently?" he asked.

Paige nodded. "I think so." She looked up at the ceiling as if it might hold the answer. After a moment, she responded, "I think it was 2010, so that should be ok, right?"

"It should," Walter agreed, "But if you experience a puncture wound and it's been more than five years, you should probably get one anyway, just to be safe. You should see your doctor tomorrow." Paige nodded again and Walter left to get the items he'd mentioned. When he returned, he tended to her foot, quickly pulling out the offending metal, and treating it with hydrogen peroxide. When he began to tape a bandage into place, he noticed Paige trying not to giggle as his hands traced new areas of her foot. He suppressed a smile, but not the thought of the other places on her body where she might be ticklish.

When he was finished, Paige swung her legs over the counter so she was now facing him and finally gathered the courage to sustain eye contact with him. "Thank you, Walter," she said quietly. "I appreciate you taking care of me….The last 10 minutes were unfortunately probably the best part of my evening," she joked bitterly. She looked at the clock on the oven for the time. "I need to get back to the sitter within the hour," she began, looking down at the counter as she started to push herself forward so she could stand. Walter impeded her by placing one hand on her knee and one on her shoulder. She quickly stopped and looked up at him. He looked into her eyes. They were puffy now, but still so pretty. He raised his eyebrows and his face transformed into a pleading look. "Could you stay just for a little?" he asked, a bit embarrassed by his pleading timbre. "I will drive you back to your apartment right now if you want, but I would really like to talk to you. Or, or just be with you for a little while to make sure you're ok." Paige melted a little and her eyes welled up again. "Please don't cry, Paige," Walter said softly. "I will do whatever you need me to do, but please don't cry."

Paige willed her tears back down when she heard his naked plea. He looked so sincere in this moment and she reflected on her earlier wish for stupid Simon to offer her a ride - for Simon to show a bit of gallantry. And here was Walter, after their terrible confrontation, showing empathy, remorse, kindness, and most importantly and simply, _here was Walter._

"You said you were up on the roof?" she asked hoarsely. Walter nodded. "It calms me after a rain. The negative ions that we inhale produce biochemical reactions that help relieve stress and – "

She cut him off, gripping his hand. "Let's go up to the roof." She started to try and stand again, but he scooped her into his arms for the second time that night. "You shouldn't put any pressure on your foot tonight. And I'll get you my slippers on the way up so you're feet won't be subject to any more injury." Paige, reminding herself that she was still angry with him, said nothing, but placed one arm around his neck for support and allowed her head to rest against his chest, reveling in his warmth and the feeling of safety in his arms, as he carried her up the stairs.

 **And…scene! Thoughts?! (Did I say thank you?!) DFPF**


	6. Chapter 6

**So this is turning out to be the final chapter…for now. I** **may** **post another one as a follow up, in a few weeks, and several weeks in their future, but am thinking it may wind up as a separate post, as a story that can stand on it's own (and wind up with an M rating)….please enjoy this last chapter as we find Walter and Paige up on the roof.**

Chapter 6:

Neither of them spoke for several long moments as Paige, now clad in Walter's warm brown slippers, balanced her weight on her right foot, and rested her elbows on the ledge of the roof and looked up at the night sky. Walter stood next to her, though several feet away, his gaze shifting between the stars and Paige. She finally looked peaceful. Tired, but content, and still so beautiful. He hesitated to cause her any more anxiety than she'd already experienced today, but felt the need to speak.

"Paige, I'm sorry for the things I said earlier," he said slowly, looking only up at the sky. "I swear I didn't mean them. I was not only unprofessional, but I think, no, I _know_ I said the things I said to you out of anger. I th-think my anger was rooted in jealousy." He quickly continued, "I know that's not fair to you. I know that you said you don't have any intense feelings for me," now he paused, unsure about how to finish his statement, "but…I guess I didn't realize how still very real my intense feeling are for you until I found out about your date tonight." There, he'd admitted it. Now he just had to save face and salvage their collegial relationship. "This is new territory for me; I am not used to reacting to emotions. But now that I am aware that this is an issue for me, I can resolve to turn those feelings completely off," he said, choosing his words as carefully as he could. "I know it's none of my business, but I am worried about what happened to you tonight. You don't have to tell me, but if there's anything I can do to make the awful things I said to you earlier right, please tell me." He managed to keep his gaze away from her, but brought his hands to rest on the ledge as he finished.

She was quiet for another long moment before responding. "I won't be seeing Simon again. I haven't slept with him – I- I didn't sleep with him tonight," she whispered, looking down. "I couldn't. I thought I wanted to, but…my feelings were…misplaced." Walter couldn't believe the amount of relief that washed over him.

She went on, "I was so mad at you when I left the garage. I put on this silly dress," she gestured beneath the blanket, "and went over to his overpriced, over decorated condo tonight with every intention of taking things to the next level, but I just kept thinking, kept wishing…" She paused. "Walter, I think we have a problem."

"What?" he asked, looking at her intently. Wanting to step closer to her, but afraid of what might come next.

"I kept wishing he was you," she said simply.

Walter processed this for a moment. "You said you didn't have those feelings for me," he said.

"I lied," she replied. "You broke away from the kiss before it even really began, and it was just some silly failed experiment anyway, so I was trying to protect my pride…and my heart." She wrapped her arms around herself. "I know remaining 'just friends' is the sensible, logical way to proceed. I thought moving on would help to reinforce that for me, but it just made me unleash all of these romantic feelings that I've been repressing." She felt like she was going to cry again, but she was so tired of crying. "I'm sorry too Walter. I feel like I'm letting you down. I gave you mixed signals. I don't know what to do to make things ok. I worry about the team too. I always worry about Ralph. I don't know what the right answer is here."

Walter wished he knew as well, but feeling emboldened by her declaration of feeling for him, he decided to try a different tact. He took a few steps toward her and then positioned himself behind her, settling for placing his hands on the ledge on either side of her, rather than wrapping his arms around her, the very thing he'd wanted to do since the moment he found her on the floor of the garage tonight.

When he spoke, he whispered the words into her ear, inhaling her warmth, her scent before he did. "I know I'm usually the one with the answers, but I don't know either," he softly admitted.

Paige let herself lean against his chest and let her head fall to the side and blanket slide off her shoulders as she felt his warm breath tickling her neck. She tried to stay grounded. "Walter?"

"Hmm?" he nuzzled.

"Friends and colleagues don't stand this close to each other," she breathed.

"I know," said Walter. "If you want me to move-"

Paige responded by placing her hands on his and wrapping them around her waist. "Please don't go," she murmured. He began to slowly and gently place soft kisses on her cheek, his lips traveling to her jaw line and down her neck and Paige let herself revel in the moment. This was where she had longed to be – with Walter and his strong arms wrapped around her. She felt safe and warm and well, _home._ She slowly turned around to face him. They looked into each other's eyes only for a moment before bringing their lips closer to each other and enjoying a deep, satisfying, uninterrupted kiss.

Her hands reached into his curls that she had dreamed about caressing. His hands roamed freely from her hips to her back, making their way up to her soft exposed shoulder blades. When he broke the kiss to return his attention to her neck again, she didn't have to remind herself to lean her head back and breasts toward him. He daringly lowered one of her spaghetti straps to allow him more access to the top of her breasts. She ran her hands over his chest and clung to his shirt, breathing heavily. If his hands roamed to the zipper on the back of her dress, she swore she would allow him to strip her completely on the roof right now. She wanted him. She ran her hands down his waistline, smiling at the always absent spot where a belt should be, and let her hand graze the front of his pants, where his now obvious arousal protruded. Walter moaned and reached for her zipper. She started to unbutton his shirt, and allowed herself to fantasize about spending the night, naked with Walter under the stars on the roof, when reality set in.

"Umm….Walter?" she whispered breathlessly. No part of her wanted to stop what they had started. Walter froze in mid-zip and took a small step back from her. She moved her hands to his biceps, holding him in place. "I umm…I need to get back to Ralph soon." She was tempted to leave it at that, but felt the need to be completely honest with him. "And…as much as I want this, what we're doing to happen, I also don't want to rush into anything. I almost made a huge mistake tonight, and I don't want my poor choices to be the reason we wind up getting together." She peeked up at him. "Does that make sense?"

Walter nodded and kissed her forehead. "So you're asking me for some space?"

Paige smiled bashfully. "Actually I was thinking of asking you for a date," she said in a coy and quiet voice, "but space for tonight might be best."

 _A date with Paige._ Walter let the words sink in and grinned broadly. "I would love to take you on a date." He thought he would be nervous. He thought his mind would leap into overdrive trying to research restaurants and plan an evening out, preparing a mental list of conversation points, and scheduling time to practice his smile in the mirror. Instead, he realized he just wanted to spend as much time with her as possible. It didn't matter if they went out for coffee or an elegant evening; he just wanted to be with her. Next to her, holding her hand, looking at her, inhaling her sweet scent, and feeling completely at ease. "When?" He couldn't stop smiling.

Paige's smile grew wider, "Umm…well, Ralph has a sleep over at Billy's on Friday. So I wouldn't have to worry about a sitter. How does Friday sound?"

"Perfect," said Walter and leaned in to kiss her on the cheek. "Now, let's get you home."

-oooo-

Later that night, Paige couldn't keep the smile off her face as she tried in vain to get some sleep. She replayed every moment on the roof with Walter and wondered where they would go on their _date!_ She finally drifted off, idly pondering what dress she should wear, and trying to decide which of the lovely sets of unseen lingerie she would wear underneath.

 **Thoughts and reviews please? Thank you for reading my story! And as always, thank you for all of yours!**

 **DFPF**


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